I've always been a bit troubled by the fact the people will dress up for a wedding, dress up for a funeral, dress up for a graduation, but wear whatever for church. Church, a place where we sing "Give of your best to the Master" is the same place where casual is good enough.

Methinks we have taken the idea that Jesus accepts us just as we are to justify not trying to be any better. It seems somewhat rude to think, "These jeans are good enough for God." To believe that whatever we do, particularly when we can do better, is acceptable.

I have a hard time believing that people would really want to be in jeans if they really believed that our God was an awesome god.

I couldn't agree more with Russel. When we go to church, we are to go with our offerings. Sometimes that is money, sometimes not. One of our offerings should be to bring our very best to the God and Creator of the universe. That could include our dress, our singing, our service, etc. He gives us His best all the time. I think the least we could do is put some extra effort into what we bring to His House.

What if your best IS bluejeans (the one pair you own that don't have holes)? My church is located in a poor section of town. Many people around us don't own (or need) "dress up" clothes. We don't want people to feel self-conscious about how they dress, and possibly not come for that reason.

Clothes can be an artificial barrier between the lost and the opportunity to meet Christ. Is God's attitude, "I don't care. I still want you to dress up in your Sunday best"?

I've been to churches that seem to be a fashion show. They wouldn't reach people in my neighborhood. But seeing Tim up front preaching in bluejeans--that puts people at ease, removes any self-consciousness about attire, and enables them to hear the Gospel. If he wore a suit and tie, it would change the dynamics.

Does God really care about clothes?

If your best IS blue jeans, then you are giving your best. However, if they are not, then you are implicitly saying that God is not worthy of the effort.

Yes, God cares about clothes. Because if the clothes you wear show a lack of concern for your presentation to Him, then they demonstrate your lack of concern about Him.

I seem to recall a couple brothers in Genesis who made presentations to God. One was the best he had, the other's wasn't. God did not accept the second. If you have better and do not give it to God, what makes you think he'll accept what you give?

It's not the clothes, but the attitude that chooses the clothes.

Some years back a well to-do fella know for shopping at thrift stores came to me in an outdated polyster plaid suit from the 70s to complain about how the teens dressed.

The teens were in $60 jeans, $100 tennis shoes, with similarly expensive shirts, accessories, and coats. Now who brought their best to the Lord? The $10 polyester suit guy, or the kids wearing 100% denim cotton?

One can give ones best and it can be casual, and one can be a cheap miser and dress in formal wear. But perhaps we'll call him a good steward of his money and justify it.

Bottom line, your position that giving your best can be defined by the cut of the cloth, or the fiber it is made from is foolish.

Even your argument that people dress up for weddings and funerals and graduation is becoming weak as fewer people dress for up for those events.

Perhaps your wish to point out that casual clothes (and often people making this argument are most focused on jeans) is associated with work. Except in a non-agrarian society, and in a post-manufacturing society, that's no longer a universal truth. If in my service industry I have to dress up in a jacket and tie, then attending worship in a jacket and tie is attending in my work cloths. Where is the reverence?

Perhaps it that we are more likely to be casual in our dress everyday? Shouldn't we wear only clothes that are set aside for something special? I can respect those who believe that and apply it personally. I disagree if they wish to attempt to persuade their brethren. To do so is the essence of legality. But I have no problem with them wearing their Sunday go-to-meeting-only dress or suit with their Sunday-go-to-meeting-only boxers, bras, and briefs. I trust and hope they never where their every day underwear. God will know its not their best.

I have this funny idea that what God really wants in worship are people who are radically and passionately engage in loving Him with all that they are, loving other people with a love that can compete with our own self-love, and working to disciple others to obey Christ. I'm pretty sure that obeying Christ covers a lot of ground, and includes absurd teachings like being last to be first, and being living sacrifices, and dying that we might live. I don't recall much about dress. Unless we are talking about women not adorning themselves, and robes. Hmm. Maybe that's what Christ wants. Now let me see, where did I put my bath robe. (Its the only robe I've got).

Mike

Those that support the "wear what you want" position seem too hung up on the actual clothes and miss the point.

The clothes chosen are representative of an attitude. And, an attitude that says, "This is good enough" is disrepectful whether your clothes cost $10 or $1000. The point is not WHAT you wear, but WHY you wear it.

Everything I've ever heard endorsing casual dress seems merely justification for laziness.

When I wear bluejeans at church, and visitors show up wearing the same (which is highly typical at my church), I have a talking point right off the bat. "Hey, I see you know our dress code." And it sets them at ease.

But alas, as I have now learned, it's just pure laziness on my part. Shame on me. If I had any ambition whatsoever, I'd wear a suit and tie. Because that's what God wants me to wear as proof that I'm a serious Christian.

You'll know they are serious Christians by how much they dress up. Just go to any church where people dress to the hilt. Those folks are spiritual warriors.

Your mockery only demonstrates that you missed the point.

Clothes do matter. Almost every adult I know is self-conscious to some degree about what they wear when they go out in public. Most people I know purposely choose what they are going to wear to the store, to school, to work, and to church. Especially women. And men. Most everybody is trying to make a statement about what they wear.

I'm trying to make a statement when I wear jeans to church. For the people we are ministering to, wearing a suit to church is often linked to Christian hypocrisy, attitudes of judgementalism, and superiority complexes. By wearing jeans I'm attempting to communicate to my congregation and their friends who they are witnessing to: I'm here to help you follow Jesus and I'm not going to let my clothes be an obstacle to you. I'm not going to let fancy dress-up clothes be a source of miscommunication.

I agree - God cares not about what kind of clothes we wear, but why we wear what we do. But now we've gotten into a different vision of why we go to church on Sunday.

Russel

Respectfully, I think it is you who are the one missing the point.

Steve, Tim, and I all agree that it is the attitude and not the cost or the clothes themselves. At that moment it sounds as if we and you could be on the same page saying the same thing.

The problem is that even though you claim it is the attitude behind the dress that you are concerned about, your application contradicts you. You have repeatedly offered examples that indicate that you have a mental image of what "bringing your best" should look like, given mediating factors. When challenged and countered, you adjust to a tangent line of reasoning and claim we missed the point.

From your arguments, presented to date, the ultimate expression of respect is wearing a jacket and tie if one can afford it, if it is your best and you are doing so with the right attitude. If this were not so, you would not have said it.

If this is not what you mean, then answer this straight-forward question. I own a very nice suit and several jackets and ties. Also very nice. Is your position that since I have that type of clothing available, and as someone who professes to be a believer seeking to to grow in maturity as a disciple, I should desire to wear it in worship out of respect for God?

Based on your previous statements, I think your answer is "of course". I would answer that the clothing is virtually disconnected from spiritual maturity, obedience, or respect. I believe that you have been blinded by a particular moment in a particular culture, and used that definition as a reflection of what "best" is.

The most credit I might be able to grant your argument is if you are saying that adjusting our dress to something more casual than previous generations springs from mislaid motivations and allows us to be people-centered rather than God-centered. I actually might agree that possibility exists. Perhaps we have reached a point where the dress to impress at church has moved from dress up to dress down.

Of course the opposing argument is that dress is a freedom, and that it is even acting with the "best" attitude since we are seeking the salvation of others. Therefore it isn't to impress others, but to do the Father's work. Or, as I mentioned earlier, that dress isn't relevant to obedience and maturity as a believer.

I guarantee you that my choice to not wear a tie isn't because just that I'm too lazy to tie it :)

Mike